PHILADELPHIA — An impressive late-game push by the Oakland A’s lineup couldn’t make up for the struggles of their pitching staff on Opening Day.
The A’s rallied for a four-run seventh inning, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a shaky performance from starting pitcher Frankie Montas and the team’s bullpen as the Philadelphia Phillies held on for a 9-5 win in Friday afternoon’s season-opener at Citizens Bank Park.
After falling behind 5-0, the A’s scored their first run on a solo home run from cleanup man Chad Pinder in the fourth inning. The home run didn’t immediately threaten the Phillies, but a three-run homer from first baseman Seth Brown off Phillies starter Aaron Nola finally did.
After back-to-back hits from Sean Murphy and Pinder, Brown blasted his three-run homer to right-center off Nola, ending the right-hander’s day. Oakland tacked on another against reliever Jeurys Familia as free agent signee Stephen Vogt came around to score on an error, cutting the deficit to 6-5.
That was as close as the A’s would get, however, as their inexperienced bullpen failed to keep a revamped Phillies offense in check in the late innings.
Montas allowed five runs in five innings for Oakland, and the damage started right away. The right-hander allowed a home run to the first batter he faced as Kyle Schwarber golfed a leadoff shot to right field. It was the 14th career leadoff homer for the Phillies left fielder, coming in his first at-bat with his new club.
The Phillies offense went back to work against the 29-year-old starter in the third as reigning National League MVP Bryce Harper hit an RBI double to center. He was originally called out at second, but a review put him back on the bases as second baseman Tony Kemp didn’t put the tag on Harper in time.
That opened the door for Rhys Hoskins to add a two-run single and Didi Gregorius to plate Hoskins with two outs, extending the lead to 5-0.
Montas settled in after that, putting the Phillies away 1-2-3 in the fourth and fifth innings, but the damage had been done by then. He was replaced in the sixth inning after throwing 92 pitches, allowing six hits and striking out six. Philadelphia then added another run off reliever Jake Lemoine on a sacrifice fly from Matt Vierling.
Source: www.mercurynews.com